Wednesday, December 3, 2008

4 ~ The Botanical Garden

The Botanical Garden in Puerto de la Cruz ( El Jardin de Aclimatación de la Orotava) was created after royal decree in 1788 by King Charles III in view of the necessity to have an acclimatization zone on Spanish territory for plants proceeding from the tropics destined for mainland Spain. The first plantations began in 1792. The garden now contains important collections of tropical and subtropical plants as well as a study centre for endemic Canary species of flora and vegetation. The current garden area of 20,000 sq meters is being enlarged to double the size and when finished will include modern installations as well as more garden space.

The openings times are from 9:00 am until 6:00 pm (open one hour longer in summer) and the only closing days are January 1, Good Friday and Christmas Day.Entrance costs €3 or €2 for residents with ID. The last chance to enter is half an hour before closing time.Library and herbarium study visits may be made by appointment.

One word of advice if you make a visit there. As the ground is covered with fine gravel (picón volcanico) it's better to wear closed shoes rather than sandals as the small stones get between your toes and it can be most uncomfortable walking around!

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Welcome to Tenerife Journal!

I'm Canadian from Vancouver Island and have been living in Spain since the 1960s, first in Palma de Mallorca, then on the island of Ibiza and now on Tenerife in the Canary Islands. Photography has been my most active hobby for some years and the Canary Islands offer wonderful photo opportunities with their dramatic volcanic landscapes and lush vegetation. My Memories of Mallorca on Canarybird's Nest tells how I came to be living in Spain. Tenerife Journal is about my current life on this beautiful island. I hope you will find something interesting to read on both my blogs. I'm currently working on a third blog: Food Photo Tips. I welcome your comments. Thanks for the visit!
Sharon.